You know people, I feel that since the year is ending I must write something in line with that here in my blog but I just can’t seem to find the topic that would be interesting enough for me to write here..! kakainis! Im getting frustrated,,, whell, whadya think should be deem right here? A yearend report of my life for the past 365 days? Haay that would be too boring. A thank you very much list? A new year resolution? Blah, blah, blah…

Alam niyo guys, napapadalas ang pagreminisce ko ng mga memories for the past 12 months.. as in for example, im going to lie down sa bed, bigla nalang a flurry of memories would rush all over my body. Haay.. bute sana kung puro good memories but the memories that keeps coming back are those I’d rather avoid remembering… but could it also be that I miss those times and at the back of my head it is true and im just denying it?? I dunno.. think bout that some ader tym.

Pindot….

Pindot…

Pindot…

Nothing more to write…

I think I’d just upload pixs in my albums huh? That’s pretty sensible as compared to those mentioned up above the blog so high. Haha.

By the superhighway, got that tagline from the coming teleserye,,, yah know,, kim and gerald’s ripoff of “if only” but I think I like the lines ofMichael de mesa (a.k.a the driver/reminder/angel/advocate) which speaks about TIME. Im very interested in those quotable quotes eh but ‘nuff said here. I’d disgust it some other time nyahaha…

Oh my,, in just a few hours 2006 will now be saying goodbye and we will soon welcome 2007!!! Ang bilis ng panahon noh?? Although this year has been full of sad memories and painful experiences,, go! go! go! paren tayong lahat!! Yehey! Im just glad that I was able to surpass everything that life has hurled at me…

*thanks sa lahat ng mga tao who made 2006 a memorable and happy year. Thanks for the friendship, companionship, love, happy memories and ofcourse lessons!! Maraming salamat senyong lahat.*sorry din sa mga taong nasaktan ko, intentionally or not.*thank you God for all the good and bad things that had come my way. Thank you for giving me another year to live.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

THE EVE BEFORE CHRISTMAS[p.s.-late lang ang time and date sa blog but it’s reall December 24, 2006]

In just a few hours, everyone is again gonna celebrate the birthday of our savior lord jesus Christ. But hey, are we really ready for the big event? Yeah sure the great food are there and our Christmas tree had loads of gifts underneath it but there is always more to that right? I mean the REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS. Back then, im sure they don’t even celebrate it with Christmas party or kris kringle.. im talking about the genuine reason why we have this celebration.. to once again recognize the birth of that one man or god who loved us so much enough to live his majestic life in heaven and to experience living with us by becoming a man and eventually, give up that life again for us to be saved. Isn’t amazing? I for one think it is. Think of it as someone’s birthday but you’re the one who gets the present. That I think must be the real essence of Christmas: to be able to share something, not too much but something real and from the heart with all our loved ones.

Wow, if this is indeed the reason why many of us celebrate Christmas, im sure jesus would no doubt enjoy being born over and over again. :D

And lastly,,, a letter to Santa...

...

..

.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

DEAR SANTA,

I KNOW THAT I’VE BEEN NAUGHTY THIS YEAR SO DON’T BOTHER TO COME TO OUR HOUSE UNLESS YOU HAVE PRESENTS FOR MY SIBLINGS HAHA. BUT SERIOUSLY SANTA, I WANT TO THANK YOUR BIGGER BOSS THERE FOR GIVING ME SO MUCH OF LIFE AND IT’S FRIENDS FOR THE PAST YEAR.I KNOW THAT I HAD BEEN A BAD GIRL AND DOESN’T DESERVE ANYTHING BUT A STINGY STOCKING BUT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME JUST MORE THAN THAT AND IM AWFULLY THANKFUL FOR ALL THOSE PRESENTS. BY PRESENTS I MEAN MY FAMILY OFCOURSE, MY FRIENDS.. MY LIFE AND ALL IT’S WONDERFUL AND NOT SO WONDERFUL MEMORIES. I KNOW IT’S TOO MUCH TO ASK BUT IM STILL GONNA ASK ANYWAY, TO YOU SANTA AND TO YOUR BIGGER BOSS (WHO OBVIOUSLY SUPPOERTS YOUR FINANCES!)TO PLEASE JUST KEEP MY FAMILY AND EVERYONE ELSE I KNOW SAFE AND HEALTHY OK? AND THAT ALL PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS BE AS FULFILLED AND HAPPY AS I AM FEELING RIGHT NOW OK? AND FOR THOSE WHO DOESN’T WANT TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS, HMM… I WISH THE SPIRIT OF THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE WOULD COME AND HAUNT THEM, A CHRISTMAS CAROL STYLE. JUST JOKING SANTA! AND I ALSO WISH THAT ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN AFFECTED BY THE TYPHOONS THAT HAVE HIT OUR COUNTRY CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS EVEN IF THEY FEEL THEY DON’T HAVE ANY REASON TO DO SO. OK? IF NOT, IM GOING STRAIGHT TO BOSS JESUS AND TELL THAT TO HIM…

Friday, December 22, 2006

It’s 2 days before Christmas!!! :D

WRITER’S BLOCK:

(2 months ago….)Haaay, submission na naman ng articles for our school paper and eto na naman ako squeezing my brain in and out for my assigned articles and what to do sa Filipino page which ahem ahem *drumrolls here* I happened to manage. Wheeee. Ang saya! Not. Haha, I think everyone hates Filipino because only a handful (uhm, no only two people have said yes to me) of writers had promised me to deliver a Filipino essay or paper or death march. Hahah.(a month ago…)Looking forward na to helping in the layout with the other editors. Yippee! Dream come true.. and we’ll be having colored pictures na for the whole paper!! It’s definitely a HUGE improvement talaga noh??? Yeah yeah! And we’re celebrating our 40th anniversary..! so we’re having a err… little trivia for ourselves here… heheh… baby pictures daw matched with the now-picture of us. Isn’t that great? I think it’s creepy considering that Halloween was just over.. well, you must know what im talking about na,,, hay, hay.,(as, of the moment… were having problems but go! go! parin! Haha love yah ms.jenny!)

Card’s out-grrr! Boo economics!! I was expecting na I would be seeing a 90 sa card but it turns out pala to be the other way around!! Bumaba. From 89, it became 85 nalang. Screw that! Haha. Oh,,, A MILLION DOLLAR THANKS TO MRS. LORNA TOLENTINO aka ms. Lt for resurrecting my English grade. Haay,, pero nakakasakit isipin na ang English grade ko ngayon ay 85 below when back then… it soared *enters melodrama music here*huhu. You know mga 89, 90 ganon. Haay… oh well, ayun were doing research na… TERM PAPER!!! Heh.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

I don’t usually put song lyrics on my blog since I feel na it’s so BADUY and there are many more sensible things to write about than some song’s lyrics ano?

Now what am I just doing huh???

Okay, forgive me for what im about to do and for breaking my self-imposed rule… I just need to get this out of my chest! I’ve been humming this tune nonstop since last week I thought im going berserk.. oh well, I must be forgiven because it’s been another year when I lost the boy that I thought was my one great true love and no, it’s not and will never gonna be you PAENG!!

GREATEST STORY EVER TOLDBy: Oliver JamesThank you for this momentI've gotta say how beautiful you areOf all the hopes and dreams I could've prayed forThere you areIf I could have one dance foreverI would take you by the handTonight it's you and I togetherI'm so glad, I'm your manAnd if I lived a thousand yearsYou know, I never could explainThe way I lost my heart to youThat dayBut if destiny decidedI should look the other wayThen the world would never knowThe greatest story ever toldAnd did I tell you that I love you tonight?I don't hear the musicWhen I'm looking in your eyesBut I feel the rhythm of your bodyClose to mine.Its the way we touch that sends meIts the way we'll always beYour kiss, your pretty smile you know I'd die forOh baby, your all I need

*tears can fall and eyes could parched perpetually.*memories can fade and overlook you*bodies will be worn out and everything will diminishbut the love you and I encompass will blaze for eternity.

Monday, October 30, 2006

It is in silence when we can truly reflect on what is happening to us. After a series of whirlwind events, it is only now that I came to realize why such things happen to me,,, a product more of reason than destiny, siguru pin,,, ini talaga ing para kaku…

¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

At first masakit, no to hear your name being called to receive such recognition but then I learned how to accept such pain with humility and honor parin. Knowing that what I did was my best, I should no longer stain my heart anymore than what I did. I still thank god for giving me the wonderful opportunity to bond with other people and ofcourse the chance to prove my worth once again. Although, it didn’t end in a fairy tale for me.. it’s a wonderful experience I would forever cherish.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

haay........................

i feel sotiredand yet i seem not to finish anything sensible... is it right to feel that way? hey, maybe it's just one of the so called "bad days".... katatapos lang ng preliminaries namen and so far so good... except english... hayy,,, date my grades are literallythrown out sa outer spacesa taas and now kahit ata sa gravity eh hindi papasa.. awwww...

...............i feel so depressed........................ENGLISHhad always been my favorite and now... arrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggghhhh...(all i can do now is cry, yah know?!

Friday, September 29, 2006

…….i know it’s mean to wish that “milenyo” would be so hard especially when I know that a lot of people are suffering it’s bad effects, are losing their homes and God forbid even their lives. But just because im not really feeling its effects doesn’t mean I don’t feel it at all. Nyah. I notice a lot of sentence errors there but im too lazy to even edit them so I’ll just let them be.

*im so tired kahapon I thought I might need to be confined! Imagine playing basketball for three consecutive games lasting about 25 minutes each with only 3 minutes rest in between? Talk about exhaustion. Tas yung mga nakalaro pa naman were so aggressive sa bola. nung last Wednesday, when we played against najee, nag-eenjoy pa ako kasi mas madami pang tawa kaysa sa seriousness. Although we beat them,,, obvious na wala lang. they just don’t care. Yung next game namen where we lost was just excusable dahil were playing with a guy na MVP lang naman ng basketball. Tas yung game 3 nga namen yesterday was so ewan. One girl was so aggressive na naka-jumpball na niya lahat ng kateamates ko including me. talagang nang-aagaw ng bola but it’s ok lang naman. We still finished victorious! The game 4 was one of the most intense games talaga kasi they are very serious in winning. Although meg and I suffered injuries this time, we never let our team down. Sobrang bagsik ng defense ni mariel that there was LITERALLY no way for you to pass the ball. I love her for that! Tas naman **** and *** were parang galit nag galit na talagang inaagaw na yung bola. that happened so many times that’ s why we always have the turnovers which obviously made us again the winner. I actually felt like I shoved something down their necks hahah! Game 5 was again a funny game kasi relax nalang kami. We even made tesa shoot the ball eh. Haha. Basta yun.

MORAL: some people will literally kill you just to win one measly game.

so when we arrived there, I was perspiring because the building was on fourth floor. (we later found out that there is an elevator but was broken) we were arranged alphabetically so I was assigned at seat 58 which was never easy to find then when I asked the I-thought-kind-lady, she snorted and said “anak, eto ang upuan mo, oh… katabi ng nakawhite diba?” grrrr… I wanted to kill her at the spot but ok I just sat. and then when I looked, the guy on my right was no other than butch! My classmate in up aguman review… but I didn’t say hi cause im feeling so much jitters. Hahaha.

Test started late because obviously, there are just some people who can’t tell the difference between 7:30 and 8am so yun. Tas when we were starting na, the instructor was speaking so fast that haay… basta… I was sited with my back against a huge aircon and slowly I felt it’s numbing effects!! Whaaaa……

English was ok but we were only given 40 minutes to answer 100 items and to think the articles are quite long and then we had the essay part for only 20 minutes. So much for order and logical thinking. Yay.

Next part was math but before that a girl at my right (who was so pretty, I could have been an instant lesbian) talked to me. she asked about my school and that got the ball rolling for us. She is actually very kind and soft-spoken. An ob Montessori girl that’s why she spoke perfect and straight English. Hehe. And oh math was shit!! As in super hard… algebra algebra algebra.. should have studied my sophomore lessons. There wasn’t a single geometry problem man lang!

After that was the easy-easy part na.. the aptitude test which includes logical, abstract reasoning, gen. knowledge reading comprehension.. these parts were fairly easy so both the ob girl (sam) and me started talking. We were reprimanded many times yet we kept talking hahaa…

Last test: numerical ability,, yay! 30 minutes to solve 25 items about age problem (although there are other kinds of problem, these stood out talaga!) na sobrang nosebleed!! Huhuhu.. one third of the cat and thrice the dog’s age.. blah blah blah…

I just wish that ateneo people would consider the fact that I am applying for a COMMUNICATION course and not MANAGEMENT ENGINEERING.

Oh well, im screwed…

Went to chowking and drowned every sorrow in a chaofan and siomai with odie’s century egg.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Peek-a-boo

Whoa. Time flies super fast and it’s September… BER months are here now,, and speaking of the nearing Christmas rush...I was in the mall when I heard “tayo na giliw, magsama na tayo….” Haha. And the wind is getting colder na… yaay..

Christmas is near na nga oh.

I can’t believe it that time can go that fast… parang kailan lang when I was vacationing my heart out in tagaytay and baguio and then school opened and then the centennial celebration and then before I knew it eto na… it’s September… Only 3 months before Christmas, 4 months before 2007, 5 months before valentines and prom and 6 months before my 17th birthday and finally,,, im saying goodbye to highschool forever. Oohh..

That sounds creepy.

Share ko lang: nung nag library period kami last tym, I got the chance to chat with the acts.. saya nga kase after 3 years, we are all classmates again.. (we are the star section then and now eh) oion.. in the words of ms. Pangan.. kahit na di tayo super close friends, bonded parin tayo by the memories.. totoo pala yun. The feeling when you step back in time to cherish and savor every bits of your past is so sweet I wish I could freeze it right there and there. Haha. Ang saya nun.

Like with this ms. Pangan. Ms. Pangan and I used to be BFF (I suppose you know what this means people!) until some wrecked memory brought havoc and tinted our innocent friendship. We didn’t talked for almost 2 years and it was in freshmen when we finally allowed ourselves to lower our pride and apologize for whatever happened then. Even I, myself cannot remember what exactly is the reason that caused our fight. It was a very petty fight yet hurtful words have to be said and promises have to be broken.

Three years later, ms. pangan and I are classmates for I guess the last time. I’m not her best friend anymore and so is she in my life today. But inspite of the huge gap that separated us apart, I know that what I am would partly be attributed to her, like it or not. I guess thats what people do to your life; they walked in, teach you a lesson or two and move on with their lives. I like to think that, that is exactly what happened to the two of us.

When I talk of moving here, it’s not an ordinary moving out of the house or neither moving from one location to another. It’s the kind of moving I tried so far to elude and never speak about. But I guess, I’d had to deal with it soon. (If my memory permits, I already wrote a post similar to this. Mga banding 2005 yun.)

She started by asking me how do I feel about going to another country and staying there for a huge chunk of time. I told her that I don’t know since that thought never even crossed my mind (WELL, IM LYING HERE OBVIOUSLY.). But I know that, that kind of answer would not suffice if im going to convince mom to just stay here. Ever since I graduated grade school, mom had been at my tail trying to sell me the idea that being in states with Lolo and Lola and with the rest of my huge clan is way better than what I have initially planned for my life. She told me that I AM lucky to be given an OPPORTUNITY like this cause some people literally kill themselves to be in my shoes right now. She reminded me of how I dream when I was young of being able to go to states and live there. She told me how better OUR life would be if we stay there. Most of all, she reminded me how much happier I would be.

Is it?

I would love to see a real snow on a real winter, yes. I would love to build snowmen and be able to skate and brush all the snow from the driveway. When I was young and naïve, I had dream of all these things from in states (in Harvard or Princeton, no less!) to being an Asian-am-girl. But somehow, these dreams are not my dreams anymore. They had become my mother’s. Life had changed me and my dreams that going to states now is a thing of the past for me. Maybe, had the OPPORTUNITY came at an earlier time, I might have gone for it. However, yesterday is different from today as it is to tomorrow. I have already dream of other dreams, which I am in pursuit right now. I already planned my life based on the PRESENT. What I have in mind for my life may not be the greatest thing in the world (in fact, it wont’t even come as close to going to states) but I know that in my heart, this is what I want and this would make me feel at my HAPPIEST but still I love mom very much.

Whei, never thought I’d say this but “why is upcat like that?” totally way below than what I expected it to be. Oh, I dunno. Im not going to say it’s easy because it’s not but it’s not that hard either. Maybe have I taken it during my freshman year, I would have been able to answer most of the questions. It’s not as complicated as I expected to be. Whush. Now if only my wrongs aren’t that many,,,,,,,,,, I may have a chance. You see people, I didn’t leave any number BLANK. That’s because im not a loser who takes my chances that im just gonna all leave it to fate. I would rather have all my mistakes than to leave them blank knowing I could have answered it. Anyway, it’s 50-50 chance for me.

Nescafe… for your midnight reviews.Started reviewing for my periodic test only at 7pm. Five minutes into it made me realize that I haven’t slept normally since Friday and it’s effect is taking its toll on me now. I initially planned to start reviewing math since it’s the hardest subject for a dummy like me but I also understand that if I am to continue with such impossibility, I might need 3 days to even finish so move on to CA fil. Ok. Im really starting to get lazy na so to make the short story even shorter, I finished everything and eventually have to return to dear mama math. So, the very “pampatagal-oras” attitude went alive and kicking at the moment. I went outside to have my drug, my pain reliever, my sunshine in that gloomy night, a warm cup of Nescafe (naks, pwedeng commercial) so yun. In between drinks, thank god, finally math showed itself to me. haha. Oyun, I finished at 12:40 and then remembering what adier said to me, I placed my notebook under my pillow! Haha. At about 1am, consciousness left me. I actually planned to wake up at 4am but then I was just so tired, I woke up 5:30am. Haha.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Life Lessons from Children

From the moment I stepped in the high school grounds, I knew that my life would never be the same again. Stepping into this level means leaving out my old life and welcoming the inevitable possibility of change. Change actually upsets me for everything becomes different and unfamiliar to you. You feel light-headed and wobbly, as if suspended somewhere in the mid-air. But then, I also know that change is essential in order to move up to higher order of things. The fear eventually led me into more dense and hurting moments, that is to experienced real pain. This pain came from the most unlikely people, events and time. A pain that only those person who mean so much in my life, personality, heart and soul can cause. I tried to do everything and anything for them in the hope that I might find what I’ve been searching for and what specifically that something is… I used to hold on to everything I thought defined me—my memories, my friendships, my relationships—so tightly. It took so much energy, I hardly had anything left to invest in other things that matter. It was breaking my heart to leave any of it behind, but I knew some things had to go—or I wouldn’t be able to move on to my next destination. I just realize that most suffering that people experience is about the same as what you’d feel when you stick your hand on fire. It hurts like hell and you want to pull it out. But it’s amazing how often people would continually stick their hand in an emotional fire and keep it there. Now, I realize that if I’m continually being hurt, it’s time for me to do something else. Tired, hurt and exhusted from every pain that I have felt, I challenged myself to go on a journey-the one that I believe would finally set me free. It was a trip that i had so many times rejected. Probably, back then, I didn’t see the need for it or I was just too distracted to even hear my heart whisper these kind of things. It was tough leaving everything familiar to me not because I can’t survive without them but because I have already given them fragments of my heart. It was a tough decision but then I chose to go. Finding the destination was the easiest part since I already know where to go. Now is the perfect time for me to go back into the world of childhood and see life again in the eyes of a child. The children at the “bahay-ampunan” in our province helped me do so. And what I saw was like a well spring of refreshing energy. It’s life at it’s simple best stripped of trimmings, complexities and sophistication. In my stay there, people would say that the children remains to be the best models we have here. I can be told that a thousand times over and I’ll never question why. These children meet life with spontaneity, creativity, a lot of purity in loving and caring. Even in letting go, we should learn from the children for they teach us to be free-spirited open and relax. With them, once more I learned how to have fun and flung all cares to the wind. These children taught me how to forgive and forget and move on. Many times I scold and get angry at them but when I meet them again they have the same sweetness and smiles. They are not afraid to see life from other perspectives which I have been so afraid to do myself. How I wish that I still haven’t lose the capacity to dream so that happy realities can still come by. I now came to accept that failures will always be part of life. Challenges come and go to make us all stronger. Mistakes are not necessarily errors for growth is a process of trial and error. So as long as we keep the lessons, we can never have a “bad mistake”. Suddenly because of these children, I have a map. But this time there are no signs or roads to follow. The direction is now being whispered to me gently, it was the music that finally set me free from every pain and suffering I took from the emotional fire. The song pierced through me and freed my soul, who have been imprisoned for so long. It was now clear where I wanted to be. I now found myself travelling back a familiar route: back home. The lost music finally regained it’s voice in my heart when I finally got away from my old life. Thanks to these children who helped me try to believe again like I believe when I was their age… when your heart tells you everything you need to know. Hopefully, with their accompaniment, I’d be singing it for the rest of my life.

Monday, July 24, 2006

One Voice Position PaperWE DON’T NEED THE PROPOSED CHARTER CHANGE.WE NEED REAL CHANGE.(A proposal to address the political impasse)

Why we are speaking out now

We are a non-partisan movement of citizens who are very concerned about the political developments in our country since EDSA I and more recently in the aftermath of the 2004 elections. We see our country divided when we should be united around peaceful and democratic processes. Many of us have not participated in rallies and demonstrations for or against the President. Some of us have joined street protests. But all of us agree that most of the solutions that have so far been offered to address the political situation appear to serve personal or group interests more than the common good, and even endanger rather than strengthen our democratic institutions. The latest of these “solutions” is the “people’s initiative” to shift from a presidential system with a bicameral legislature to a parliamentary system with a unicameral legislature.For our people, many of whom are poor, it is often not clear how these political alternatives will make a difference in their lives. We are concerned that there is a growing alienation, even distrust, of our democratic institutions and of our national leaders, in and out of government. The future of our democracy itself may be at stake, and it will take all of us, speaking out together, if we are going to be heard.Our ProposalWe propose a 5-step process through the following:1. Discontinuance of the present “people’s initiative”;2. A social reform program now;3. Elections in 2007 as scheduled, as an indirect referendum, and electoral reform now;4. If necessary, a constitutional convention (not a “con-ass”) after the 2007 elections, and5. A collective effort to rebuild the trustworthiness of our democratic institutions.First, discontinue the present Initiative – We appeal to the proponents of the people’s initiative, especially the President, to please rethink this move. Not only is it questionable as a genuine “people’s initiative” but in the context of our current political culture and structure, the kind of parliamentary system being proposed will tend to worsen the concentration of political power in the country. Legally flawed. The Initiative is a divisive exercise that has very little chance of being legally upheld. The Supreme Court has already said that there is no adequate enabling law to support an Initiative to amend the Constitution. We also share the opinion of legal experts that, even if there were, a drastic overhaul of the political structure of government is a “revision” that is not contemplated by the Constitution as subject to an Initiative.Based on fallacious and deceptive reasoning. We are told by its proponents that the shift to a parliamentary system will open the doors to political stability and economic prosperity. This despite the lack of conclusive empirical evidence to show that such a form of government is the answer to our specific problems. On the contrary, studies that attempt to explain the complex issue of growth differentials among countries cite government policies as the most relevant factors for the differentials. The form of government, whether parliamentary or presidential, is not indicated as a material factor. There are countries that are doing better or worse than ours which happen to have a parliamentary system.Moreover, when all the political implications of the proposed shift is examined in the context of the relatively high concentration of political power in Philippine society today, our citizens will come to a disturbing conclusion – that the shift to the proposed parliamentary system will result in even more power to those who already have it, with the following:Taking away from the people their power to directly vote for President - and leaving the Parliament to choose the Prime Minister from among themselves;Fusing the Executive and Legislative as well as the two chambers of Congress into a unicameral parliament (to also include cabinet members with a portfolio) thus removing certain systemic checks and balances of the presidential system and resulting in more political domination by the ruling party;Authorizing an Interim Parliament to introduce more amendments (followed by yet another plebiscite), some of which may not even be known to the people today. Once the cha-cha train assumes plenary powers, with something for everyone, it will be difficult to stop. It can even amend the Transitory Provisions themselves and extend its own life and the terms of national and local government officials beyond 2010. Other amendments contemplated intend to:a) Weaken the Supreme Court, which would remain as the principal check and balance to a powerful parliament, by (i) removing its power and duty to review the sufficiency of the factual basis for declaring martial law, (ii) increasing the vote required to declare unconstitutional a presidential decree or executive order, among others, from a majority to a 2/3 vote, and (iii) removing its power and duty to determine whether or not there has been grave abuse of discretion on the part of any branch or instrumentality of government.b) Restore the power of the President to declare martial law on “imminent danger” of rebellion – a phrase which President Marcos used to declare martial law.Many other claims of the proponents of the Initiative are not borne out by the facts. For instance, the claim that the economic provisions of the Constitution on land ownership, public utilities, natural resources, media and advertising have closed the doors to beneficial foreign direct investment (FDI). Not only has the 1987 Constitution proven to be resilient to the demands of the times but surveys of foreign investors repeatedly show that the critical factors to FDI are infrastructure, human capital, quality of policies and stability of the regulatory framework, peace and order, among others. Nowhere is amending the economic provisions considered among the really critical.Businessmen proponents say, “if it is possible to do so, because we are opening up the Constitution to amendments anyway, why not?” But introducing amendments just because every other interest group intends to is precisely the reason why we should think more deeply about the consequences of opening up our fundamental law to amendments. It may well be that, because of the entrenched interests of those in power today, the provisions that really help the poor, such as the Social Justice provisions, will be the first victims of an “open season” on amendments.We are open to a sober review of our Constitution, but we must look at it as something bigger than any individual or group interest, and that nothing can be so urgent as to rush any amendment, much more revision, without fully considering all its implications and consequences.

Second, a social reform program now.Too many uncertainties and potential dangers are implied by the current hasty efforts to change the constitution. Yet there are real and urgent problems that confront our people on a daily basis. As part of the over-all approach, a social reform program can immediately be undertaken as a constructive bi-partisan effort to move forward Moreover, such a program, gives the greater number of our people, especially the poor, a bigger stake in our democracy, and increases the trustworthiness of our institutions and politicians.There is nothing in our present system that prevents our national leaders from addressing social reform immediately because the principles are already embodied in Article XIII (on Social Justice) and related provisions of the 1987 Constitution. The components of this agenda, which the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council can agree to enact through specific legislation, if necessary, and which all parties can agree to implement as a non-partisan agenda, regardless of who is in power, may include:Legislation to provide strong safety nets for the poor with market liberalization, which were promised to the people and covered by congressional resolutions but were never legislated nor implemented, especially in the areas of education, health, housing, employment, and food security. Likewise, strict implementation of environmental laws and, with respect to agrarian reform, the provision of support services, especially credit, as well as effective police security to beneficiaries to fulfill the vision of rural development.A serious and sustained campaign against graft and corruption with appointments to and support for the agencies in the forefront of the campaign, such as the Office of the Ombudsman, the Commissions on Audit, Civil Service, and Elections. A transparent and public system of nomination for these positions should be formally instituted.Legislation for greater political empowerment such as amendments to the party-list law to make it possible to reach the 20% representation in Congress of party-list representatives prescribed by the Constitution, the enactment of a law to implement the constitutional provisions on anti-dynasty and sectoral representation in the local sanggunians, the amendment of the absentee voting law to enable wider participation of Filipinos abroad, anti-turncoat legislation, and others.At the heart of this program should be an unequivocal orientation towards a better life for all. It must set in place a system that would develop and nurture leaders with a strong sense of the common good, integrity, nationalism, and competence. Pockets of growth and development, especially at the community or local government levels, while good in themselves, can only go so far. These can be made lasting only when supported by a national system that promotes the same values for growth and development, accompanied by justice and equity.

Third, elections in 2007 as scheduled, as an indirect referendum, and electoral reform now.The 2007 congressional and local elections should be held as scheduled. This is a constitutional mandate.We do not agree with those who say that there was closure with the dismissal of the impeachment complaint last year. But neither do we agree with those who say that the dismissal has closed the door to any closure. Both miss the point of the accountability system in our Constitution - in a democracy, the terminal point in that system is the vote of its citizens. That is why the holding of the 2007 elections is non-negotiable. And why both the administration and the opposition should work together, if not on anything else, then on electoral reform. A credible 2007 elections can become an indirect referendum on the issue of whether the President should serve her full term, depending on how people choose their congressmen and senators, and how those elected exercise their mandate. Both sides should be willing to trust the people and their judgment as expressed in the election, regardless of the consequences to themselves. That is what democracy is all about.As regards electoral reform, the presidential adviser on electoral reforms recommended as a priority the “revamp” of the Commission on Elections. That recommendation refers both to the commission itself and to the organization; and to a modernization program that is cost-effective and suitable to the problems of our system, for which the present automation law should be amended.As a minimum, there must be at least four independent commissioners. Hence the importance of filling the last two vacancies in the Commission with persons of unquestioned integrity and competence. And competence must not be limited to “law”. Because elections are more a matter of management, not of law - a fact recognized by the Constitution in requiring that only four of the seven commissioners must be lawyers, including the Chairman. There is an opportunity for the President and the Commission on Appointments, which share responsibility for the quality of the appointees, to strengthen the commission’s capability in other disciplines necessary to modernize the system.This administration should at least provide the conditions for a credible “indirect referendum” in 2007. Beyond that, any drastic overhaul of the Constitution should not take place until the people are convinced that the electoral system is totally trustworthy. Elections is a fundamental building block of any democracy. How can the administration, which has yet to deliver on a promise to modernize the electoral system by the 2004 elections, even talk about changes in the structure of government?

Fourth, if necessary, a constitutional convention (not a “con-ass”) after the 2007 elections.Because of the present climate of distrust and confrontation and the composition of those in political power, the best way to consider the merits of a major revision in our form of government, while allowed to be done by Congress, is through a Constitutional Convention, with a broad representation of Philippine society. And any decision to convene must be preceded by a massive education campaign and national dialogue. This is a process that cannot be rushed.Changes by a “con-ass” will always be suspect. There are various interest groups promoting their own amendments which can be the subject of back-room dealings, political trade-offs, even corruption, because these will involve huge economic or political gains. In that kind of a process, where dealings can be done piecemeal like ordinary legislation and in private, the great majority of the people who are poor, will have no voice. A constitutional convention, on the other hand, is conducted in public and continuous proceedings before the full glare of media and public scrutiny.Moreover, in the interest of transparency, any major change in political structure must be held after the 2007 elections and should not benefit those presently in power. If, however, there is found to be a need for specific provisions that can qualify as amendment (i.e. a run-off for president, block voting for president and vice-president, amending an economic provision) these can be done by Initiative, for which Congress must first pass an enabling law.Fifth, a collective effort to rebuild trust in our democratic institutions, our leaders and in ourselves.Governance is not only about how the president makes decisions or how the resources of a country are managed, it is also about our collective responsibility to solve our problems and meet society needs. Unfortunately, a preoccupation with the fate of one person sometimes distracts us from long-term institution-building.Presidents come and go; but our institutions are our lifeline to the future. We must restore their trustworthiness and strengthen them. Even when our democracy is not in its best behavior, even when it is cumbersome and time-consuming, our democracy works. But we need to make it work better to make a difference in people’s lives.There are many more ways by which our leaders can help achieve this objective and thereby address the growing distrust of our democratic institutions, for as long as the common good is their primary objective and not political survival, continuance in office, or taking power for its own sake. For our part, we have an open mind to all proposals, including a review and possible amendments to or revision of our Constitution. If our leaders – in government, in the opposition and in civil society - give us reasons to begin trusting them again, we can also begin to trust in one another and in ourselves as well.[i] See for instance studies by Jeffrey Sachs[ii] Some examples are: liberal interpretation of what constitutes capital for purposes of applying the limit of 40% foreign ownership in certain industries (SEC ruling on PLDT); legally allowed “supermajority” votes on key stockholder decisions (i.e. declaration of dividends); creative financial instruments (i.e. global depositary receipts); leases of up to 75 years on land; legislation like the condominium law on housing and, if passed into law, the proposed condominium law on industrial estates; redefinition of the boundaries of an industry (RA 9136 limits electric utilities to the “wires” business, thus allowing 100% foreign ownership in the generation and supply businesses); making the legal distinction between a franchise and a concession with respect to foreign participation in public utilities; judicial decisions (i.e. Mining Law). Moreover, technological developments have overtaken the “content” issue with respect to the 100% Filipino ownership in media by easy access to foreign programs, and in the case of print media, by the importation of foreign published newspapers or the reprint of foreign content in local newspapers under the freedom of the press provision.

GREENPEACE began with a small group of individuals who decided to get together to protest against nuclear testing at Amchitka, off the west coast of Alaska. They went on to form GREENPEACE and later initiated campaigns on major environmental issues. One of the founding principles of GREENPEACE is to "bear witness" - that is to watch and record environmental destruction. This principle of direct action together with peaceful confrontation, has been the cornerstone of GREENPEACE's campaigns.Southeast Asia is of enormous significance to the future of the planet earth. The rich natural heritage of the region is worth protecting in its own right. However, the staggeringly rapid industrialization and economic growth of the past 30 years has come at a huge environmental cost. The environmental impacts of the region also stretch beyond their own national boundaries. Severe environmental degradation already exists across Southeast Asia. Apart from the recent Asian financial crisis, pollution and resources destruction are further intensifying as multinational companies and industrialized nations target the region for the expansion of their environmentally destructive operations and technologies. Reinforcing these problems is the lack of awareness among the Asian public about environmental destruction and weak democratic mechanisms to empower communities to influence decisions. Recognizing the importance of the developmental potential and threats in these areas, and in order to consolidate and expand its campaign work in Southeast Asia, Greenpeace is increasing its activities in the region.Greenpeace is already active in many part of Asia. Our work in the region has included stopping hazardous waste imports, opposing radioactive shipments, campaigning against forest destruction, lobbying governments on sustainable energy issues and drawing attention to the dangers of waste incinerations. Often working with other local groups, Greenpeace has run successful campaigns in the Philippines, Taiwan, India, and Indonesia. We made a commitment to develop a presence in Asia in late 80s and early 90s, and first established an office in Japan (1989) and then China (1997). Initial investigations were also initiated in SEA, focusing primarily on Indonesia and Philippines.Southeast Asia is in a key position to determine global environmental security. Over the past 30 years, Greenpeace has successfully campaigned in industrialized countries to reduce and eliminate environmental pollution and degradation. However, these efforts and many achievements can easily be reversed as these same multinational companies export dirty technologies resulting in environmental degradation in the region. Hence, after many years of investigations and establishing campaign presence in key countries, Greenpeace finally succeeded in opening an office in the region. Greenpeace Southeast Asia was formally established on March 1, 2000.

Friday, July 21, 2006

This is my own case of puppy love. His name is Paolo ***** hehe... pao-pao for short. I think i love him more than i loved anyone else... am i crazy? He's just so adorable and sweet so i guess that's an excuse!

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Forgotten love notesPart 2

As I continue my life today, I find myself alone again.. and it’s raining! It is in this moments that I begin to question over and over again stuffs… things… memories.. Yeah I know it’s been countless times and still... it feels like im not going to put a stop to this. It’s so damn hard to let you just go! Well... not yet… for now. Im not ready to do so but perhaps, one day.

Can you experience the pain? Can you sense the anguish hidden in my heart? Can you feel the coldness you brought me now when you caressed my face? When im conscious, so many feelings are vividly on my mind. I tried to close my eyes and will myself to forget them but no, I cannot… because you put them there. To stay and let me feel.

You know you never left me. You never left my life. You were there when I dream of beautiful flowers, blue clouds and delightful butterflies. You are the first thing that I remember after I slumber. My last thought before drifting off to sleep. And even when I sleep, no you never depart… you were there… gazing at me. My dreams are always full of images of only you. Why is it that even in my sleep, you never let me rest? You said you were leaving me but you lied. So I run off to wherever but the effort was futile. Your face constantly haunts me and pursues me anywhere I go. why is there no escaping? why oh why??

I haven’t stopped crying since that day. The dirge that I felt at that time is still as intense as now. You know why? Just because.

And this is how I will always feel... I’d still give up tomorrow for our past, just that one past. I’ll be forever sorry. Forever sorry.

It’s still raining and this is how it will always be.

*I can’t continue any longer than this.. I think im gonna cry non-stop.. well what’s new? When it comes to you I always do..

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Forgotten Love notes

How I wish I can make time flew back. Back to where everything can just stay frozen forever. I want to capture and savor every keepsake so I won’t be left alone when moments like these come. I want everything to stay just the way they are but sadly, that can never happen. All I can do is let these wonderful things slipped away. To let them leave me until even their shadow can’t be seen. All I can do is watch.. as little by little they eradicate whatever life and joy was left in me. All I can do is cry… as I let HIM walk out of my door, my life, my soul… and my life.

You’re there…but not reallyI never really had youSo I never lost you..I think this is how we shall always be..I had you…You had me…But not really…

Memories of my once true love envelop me greatly today. A bittersweet feeling of everything we had together is coming in swirling circles and making me cry…. repeatedly for nth time. I can’t stop them. I know because I’ve tried. They just seem to be continuous.. Never stopping.. Never ending…

“So you will be going nowStarting on a journey far awayYour eyes will enjoy your tripMany things you will beholdBut I who will stay behindHere in this four-walled roomWhat thoughts will I entertain?Just looking at the roofJust looking down at the floorMissing every little piece of youMy heart shall forever be melancholyFor all the years that shall keep us apart”

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Hail young benedict!

Whohooo,, ang saya!!! Panalo ang section namin sa major integration for this quarter!!! The theme is st. benedict and we did a play about him!!! Every hirap and pagod and puyat na ibinigay naming ay nagbunga na!!!

Once upon a time when it was economics class, there was little jacq, hopelessly staring at her econ teacher and at the same time very happy because her day went super well!! (haha in between upcat and math works) but then...

the nasty librarian visited us and said that liitle jacq has to come to the principal's office with her calculator. little jacq was very sad and at the same time nervous! what the hell is going on!!

in between doubts and uncertainty little jacq went there and peeking at the small windows sge saw 2 unwanted unknown persons!!! those persons you prefer seeing dead and agonizing! what the hell are they doing here in her school? the nerve and thickness of face!

anyways she didn't mind them and went inside anyway and guess what???

the people looking for little jacq are the same as those waiting outside for her!!

what a cruel pathetic lame bait for her to have~

so she did the next big thing *******tooot******** (im sorry, just too personal to be retold,,, she stills get angry and tear eyed when i remember it)

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

this is a fasssssst post

school is here and we are starting lessons on it's second day. im seated no, sandwiched between 2 student council officers, a very meek girl (i felt as if touching her would make her break) and a familiar face but nevertheless un close aquaintance! did i spell that correctly?so there! and im busy too arranging paper stuff for college. oh so tiring! hehe..

and last i think one of my uer close friend is being drawn away from me and for that i feel

Si kim nga ang BIG winner, although it was rightfully hers naman talaga I can’t help but feel bad kasi in the last few days na nandun sila parang dun lumabas ang tunay niyang ugali. I can sense some “KALANDIAN” in her the way she was with Gerald. And I dunno why but I sometimes get the feeling na she’s doing this to intentionally hurt mikee eh. Ok we all get her point: she doesn’t like mikee anymore more than she likes Gerald but she doesn’t have to go to the extent of making him feel unwanted. And hindi na rin niya kinakausap si mikee eh. With Gerald naman, I remember nun na nagpromise siya (na hindi naman hiningi ni mikee) na he’ll back off kim and that they are just “good friends” but actions prove otherwise. But with him I don’t fee likel he’s doing it intentionally unlike kim. Besides umamin naman nun si Gerald na gusto niya si kim so yun. I pity mikee lang talaga kasi I feel na dahil sa tahimik siya at soft spoken kaya siya nagaganun. And hindi niya maexpress ang gusto niyang sabihin. Plus he is always being put into spot when kim is being asked whether it’s him or Gerald parang ang sakit naman nun ‘nuff said! Wha. At least now, he doesn’t have to endure watching kim and Gerald make “harutan” now. He deserve someone better! Im glad he’s the runner up!! atenistas rule! Haha

Oh I also bought a new bag and new shoes. New everything for the last one. Hope this things will last! Sobrang gastos na sa part ko noh!! I also bought a bag for ate daisy and insisted on “bag na pang college” though im still having a hard time understanding that noh. Such things exist pala. Well yun haayy.. oh my sister likes pink now! Girly girly na siya unlike back then when she wants guns and car toys. Good improvement! Now if I could just convince her to wear skirts!

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Prick!

I went yesterday to the hospital to get my skin checked because of the super smoldering summer we all had. Now meeting with my uber prof mom (she’s the head nurse) we went to the ground ground floor where dr. emerlinda is waiting for us. She spent half an hour asking normal stuffs and making jokes as if we were kindergarten classmates. Haha.

Then she elaborates more about the skin test I will undergo then. Specifically called a prick test, it’s designated to find out which among allergens are you allergic with. This test is divided into 3 categories that I dunno what. And each category has 20 kinds of specimens/allergens. Now here’s the catch: to each 20 specimens/allergens a needle will be dipped into it and later on be “prick” as in TUSOK to your skin. So that means my skin will be pricked by simple math calculations 60 times with different whatnots that I might possibly be allergic. Ok. Big deal, so much for my fear of needles.

Seeing my panicked face, mom came to the rescue. She asked if I just take one category of allergens first instead of taking the whole panel as the doctor called it. She agreed. Whoohoo!! Now I just have to deal with 20 needle pricks. When everything was done I saw 20 little dots on my skin turning red and big and blotchy. Some of them are even begging to be scratched BUT I hold them all off. Whaaa for 20 long and agonizing minutes. When it was now REALLY done. Results shows im allergic to the ff.:

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

I will blog again...

It was immobile for the whole month of May because our net was busted and I was VERY busy!! And due to that many feelings and experiences were bottled up but I can’t very well tell everything in details right? I have short-term amnesia, soorie! So here are some bytes and tidbits of everything under me!

One embarrassing moment that happened this summer was one afternoon when I was crossing a busy street. I was halfway there when suddenly, I tripped! Yes friends.. in the middle of the street with all the cars and people looking. And take note.. there wasn’t any hole or banana feeling or anything that might caused the fall no nothing. My stupidity just happened to be allergic today!! I heard everyone say “ay!” and due to shame I just hurriedly stood, brushed my knees and walk away. Simple and the world continues.

We’ve been to EK like a week and a half ago. It was the annual summer trip of where my mom work and we tag along. We went to tagaytay too and saw where Claudine Barreto was wed. Nice place it almost blew me away. At the picnic grove, I was scared of slipping down the super steep slopes and after the very long walk in eco-trail (1.7 km I think?) I forgot I was in tagaytay and it was supposes to be cold. Then we also saw the pineapple places and there were in this hill. This hill is covered with rows of maturing “pineapples”. I’m just wondering how did those planters even reached the top of the hill since it was so steep. But their pines are so sweet!! The juices are dripping as we ate them back here. After this was the EK experiences and I rode everything twice except the water rides. Mom convinced me to try space shuttle. My heart literally stopped as I heard the levers pull loose and do the twist and turns. I can’t stopped shouting especially when for a split second I felt the bars coming loose. Oh well one extra challenge accomplished.!

My sister Jonida Sofia Christine is one heck of a brave girl. She was given a ride all ticket to EK but I thought na hindi naman niya sasakyan lahat. Boy, was I wrong! She rode the mini roller coaster, rio grande, the huge swing, log jam and space shuttle with me. After the ride, she was telling everyone her back was broken and her famous line “napaiyak ako pero walang tumulong luha!” hehe. Crazy

It was just an ordinary day when suddenly mom called me and told me to enroll my siblings. She gave me instructions and told me to hold on to the money with dear might. OA ka mommy!! And what lang naman I was holding 100 000 in my bag!! I was nervous as to how to count the money since I fear as what will mom do to me if it was stolen!

A long time friend of mine turned foe texted me and say she wanted to patch things up. I received the text early but replied late since I don’t know as to how to deal with it. Finally I replied that we have to talk first about what happen and she agreed. Ok. We are currently fixing things up and hope that it will be for the better knowing that it’s the last year for us… hehe!!

I despised the lack of justice and equality here in the city!! Kasi one morning I was walking and I saw some LTO officers who are inspecting drivers if they are wearing their seatbelts. Good, I told to myself at least EVAT has some good results! But then I saw them stop a tricycle driver since obviously he has no belt but then the Honda civic and other cars after him that wasn’t wearing ANY seatbelt was able to escape the ticket!! I was furious! Is this the kind of people we expect to protect us and make sure we are safe and blah?? There were many of them and yet they focused on the tricycle leaving the other cars free. What the heck!! I will not be surprised if our country will not just make it. Just look around and you will see!!

I am doing PROTECH yeah!! Sa gemsville… the schedule is Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday form 1pm to 5pm well… this is already good compared to the mwf 8am to 5pm the LTC offers!! And im having a hard time. Honestly! I can’t seem to remember my lessons from frosh to junior! Oh my, im in trouble especially MATH. By the way im a loner here. No one near and close!!

I attended a seminar about catechesis and was excited for what is to come. Although there were horror stories na sinabi. I was still positive. I have lots of plans for my future students!! But most of all, I want to also learn from them. Learning is a two way process and I am very motivated by that!! Haha.

Walkathon with a friend for about 2 hours is good especially if you two hadn’t see each other for quite some time now. We were basically just talking, reminiscing and laughing ourselves off while eating lunch and burning calories. We found six cats and one of them was inside a closed sack. Poor cat. He also told me that another friend “kath” was going to stay in states for good na. haay.. I wasn’t able to say a proper goodbye!!

Another friend said goodbye to me too as she left for states. The night before, we were just txting each other and savoring every last moment we have. Too bad I have to sleep early. When I woke up, there was a txt that is telling me she was already In the airport and finally she told me she was on board and is ready for take off. Well will see each other in 5 years I guess and I know by then everything will never be the same again.

Ok im glad that bam and nina are finally out!! There so feeling papansin and scene stealers!! Nina is so OA!! And doesn’t she know decent clothing? Yeah I know she’s pretty and skinny but she doesn’t have to show it by always wearing the same white shorts!! Hanggang sa labas ng bahay ni kuya think the buzz and homeboy yun paren suot niya!! Oh well, she said she was poor and probably proving to everyone she is!! But I like mikki and aldred… mikki is so cute and pretty!! :)

Erik mana! The man of my psychic life!! my god I had watched his show and talagang anong nangyari? I literally saw the coin drop from his hand!! Pinaka freaky yung sa video with samara!! Sumigaw talaga ako!! Hehe.. I wish I have that one chance to talk to him and kukulitin ko siya talaga kung paano niya talaga ginagawa!! Haha.